Listening to Writers in the Sky Podcast on a computer is easy. Just click this link: http://yvonneperry.blogspot.com and go to my blog.  On the right sidebar there is a list of archived shows.  Click on the interview you would like to hear and it will open a post that has a link to open the audio file.  For information about being a guest on Writers in the Sky Podcast, see www.writersinthesky.com/writing-podcast.htm

April 3

Sarah Moore will be interviewing Jeff Roberts about his new book titled Little Stories, a collection of short stories written during Jeff’s days as an undergraduate at the University of Iowa. The author will be discussing the inspiration he used to capture such raw emotion, his decision to place his student work into a published collection, and why he enjoys the short story format. See Outskirts Press to learn more about Jeff Roberts and Little Stories.

April 10

Jay Greenfeld will be discussing his new book, My Choice, My Life, which shares methods readers can use to develop a greater sense of balance in key areas of their lives. The content is geared primarily towards a younger audience, with topics such as choosing healthy relationships, making smart decisions concerning alcohol and drugs, and succeeding in school or at that first job. Instead of providing a set of absolute answers, Greenfeld encourages readers to reflect on their individual situations and use his advice as a springboard to determine solutions that make sense for them. Purchase on Amazon.

April 17

Storyheart talks about his new release, Across the Pond, a story about the innocence and excitement accompanies first loves. When teenager Fred Squire is sent by his parents to visit family friends in America, he never imagined that he would meet the girl of his dreams in the very house in which he was staying. Storyheart allows their romance to unfold with a refreshing level of appropriateness for the age of his characters, but always in a way that is respectful of their genuine emotions. He has fun playing up the cultural and language differences. Purchase on Amazon.

April 24

M. Carol Coffey author discusses her new novel, Zoe Lucky and the Green Gables Mystery. The young heroine of this book has recently moved into a new apartment complex where frightening events keep occurring. She uses strong will and determination to pull together clues in her surroundings and bring the lurking criminals to justice. Coffey uses her love of animals and personal affiliation with organizations that educate about birds to integrate the winged creatures into her plotline. Purchase at Outskirts Press.

Creative (Right-Brain) People Can Attain their Goals!

Have you ever wondered how creative people attain success—and not only in their artistic field, but in other areas of their lives as well?

So many writers struggle with attaining goals, even after you've taken the time to list them, break them into actions, and set completion dates. You get frustrated with yourself, which powers your negative internal voice, which only leads to less motivation and more failure.

The UPositive Guide to Goal Attainment for Creative People leads you, step by step, through a system for success with writing. It can also be applied to other areas of your life.

The main problem for writers and other creative people in goal attainment is that most of the process of setting, tracking, and timing goals is left-brain (logical), while you're spending your time using the right brain (creative, emotional, etc.).

According to author Batya D. Wininger, LCSW, MSW, KAP, Rev., the best way for you to attain writing goals is to use both sides of your brain, trading off activities that lead to goal attainment. She explains that even though the right and left hemispheres of your brain have different jobs to do, they actually communicate with each other!

Through The UPositive Guide to Goal Attainment for Creative People, you'll learn how to have your right brain guide your left brain in setting up winning activities for the right brain to accomplish! Sounds like a see-saw? That's exactly right!

With easy-to-understand exercises, step-by-step directions, and plenty of encouragement, you'll be re-inspired to work toward your dreams, creative and otherwise; you'll know exactly what next steps you need to take; you'll be able and ready to take them; and you'll succeed quicker and easier than you ever imagined.

For more information, or to order the eBook, go to: http://www.upositive.com.

After ordering the eBook, email Batya@UPositive.com. Let her know about your order and that you read this article through Writers in the Sky. You'll receive a special, free workbook to accompany The UPositive Guide to Goal Attainment for Creative People.

Pamme Boutselis recently joined the management team of a brand new poetry Web site, and invites writers to check out www.poetsphere.org.

Friday, March 6, Steve Ouch may have made Twistory (Twitter History) by selling 200 copies of SteamPotVille, enough to reach #208 in Amazon’s ranking system, just behind one of Rick Steves’ travel books. What inspired the push? Steve’s banker had promised him a book tour loan if he could sell 200 copies today. So that’s just what he did.

SteamPotVille is at the heart of the eclectic and magical world, with its costumed animals and bright swirling landscapes. Preparing for his publishing debut in May, Steve used March 6 to get the word out. He remained on Twitter for fifteen hours and made hundreds of posts pushing his book. With over 10,000 followers, he only needed 2 percent of them to buy. And they did. He Tweeted when someone made a purchase and promoted that person. He excerpted lines from the book. Suggested adults would love it as much as kids. Offered it as a St. Patrick’s Day gift idea. There wasn’t a sales angle he missed.

If you want to learn something about marketing and self-promotion, follow Steve Ouch on Twitter. Or feel free to ask him, he's always accessible.

Frankie, the partially-paralyzed dachshund of author Barbara Techel, was inducted into the Wisconsin Pet Hall of Fame on February 28, 2009. Barbara wrote Frankie’s story, Frankie, the Walk ‘N Roll Dog after realizing the powerful lessons Frankie taught her about overcoming challenges. Frankie was recognized for bringing a positive face to all animals with disabilities and proving that they can live a happy, fulfilling life if given the chance.

Frankie continues to share her upbeat message by visiting areas schools, nursing homes, hospice and hospitals. For more information, or to watch Frankie's inspirational video visit www.joyfulpaws.com. Kids will especially enjoy www.frankiethewalknrolldog.blogspot.com.

Author Fiona Ingram has just completed The Secret of the Sacred Scarab, the first in her exciting children’s adventure series—Chronicles of the Stone. A 5,000-year-old mystery comes to life when a scruffy peddler gives Adam and Justin Sinclair an old Egyptian scarab on their very first day in Egypt. Justin and Adam embark upon the adventure of a lifetime, taking them down the Nile and across the harsh desert in their search for the legendary tomb of the Scarab King, an ancient Egyptian ruler. They are plunged into a whirlpool of hazardous and mysterious events, pursued by enemies in their quest to solve the secret of the sacred scarab. With just their wits, courage, and each other, the boys manage to survive … only to find that the end of one journey is the beginning of another! Young explorers will enjoy an interactive journey through Egypt, following Justin and Adam’s exciting adventure on www.secretofthesacredscarab.com.

Readers can also browse the first chapter of the book. Those who survive the journey and manage to translate the Curse of Thoth will be able to read the first chapter in Adam and Justin’s next adventure—The Search for the Stone of Excalibur—as they hunt for the Scroll of the Ancients.

T-shirts, mugs, and Stones of Power are available as well. Readers can purchase The Secret of the Sacred Scarab on Amazon.com, B&B.com or Barnes & Noble Bookstores, as well as many online stores. Find out more about Fiona on www.FionaIngram.com.

Book Review of Patriot Acts

I hardly ever read fiction, but bringing fiction into reality is what Steven Clark Bradley has accomplished in his Patriot Acts. I like the impossible as well as the adventure. It is a fast and exciting read as well as historical and educational. Steven has hit the nail on the head with everything going on today in the world of terrorism. He explains in his own feelings and beliefs the way our President has tried to protect this great country of ours against the murderess scoundrels who kill and have no value of life. It is very creative how Steven put Fisher and Hamilton into a frame that shows the love and devotion the two men have for each other in the face of death, and how they manage to survive.

Patriot Acts gave me an education I never had, and I understood the message and the details about what our country and its people can expect, from terrorism. The educational part of Patriot Acts is a warning and gives us the knowledge to prepare for the worst. There will be different viewpoints of this great read, but in the end we all stand together in our fight against terrorism in our great country. Steven, I got an education in terrorism, thanks to Steven and Patriot Acts, I can prepare my family for its future.

Tony (Tony Nap) Napoli
Author of My Father, My Don

For more information about this book, see Steven’s blog.

Dawn Menge’s book, Queen Vernita’s Visitors, made the finalist list for the EVVY award! The book is also one of the three semi-finalists in the 2008 literary awards for Reader Reviews. See the book video or listen to this author’s interview with Sarah Moore on WITS Podcast.

Virtual Assistant to Businesses and Authors

Mindy Schwartz  is able to assist with administrative needs such as calendar management, data entry, Excel spreadsheets, job search services, letter writing, typing, and transcribing.

Other specialties include coaching and mentoring to set up and maintain a high-traffic and sales-effective blog; stock, event, and product photography; link building; SEO writing; social networking and creating/posting trailers for books and businesses.

On the Letters from 2030 series, my book ZERO Greenhouse Emissions - The Day the Lights Went Out - Our Future World is non-fiction. It contains many facts that the general public doesn't know or understand about finite resource depletion and climate change. It was written to alert the general public to these issues and written in plain  language that is easy to understand. It simplifies the science and I believe inspires the reader to become involved in being part of a solution to the many urgent challenges we face.

Trouble is if you haven't got a person’s attention (with many issues facing people today ; economic, jobs, U.S. recession, etc) you haven't got the audience. How the Letters from 2030 came about was to use many of the facts about now and the immediate future, but to fictionalize it as how it will be in 2030. By then, and I won't scare you with the details here, the world will be well past the point of no return and we will leave a legacy of our present actions for those who come after us to deal with. They won't find it very pleasant.

So what I'm looking to do is to connect with writers who wish to become involved with the ongoing series Letters from 2030.  It can be viewed at http://lettersfrom2030.blogspot.com. Along with a number of other contributors, I see those wishing to be involved fictionally positioning themselves as a character in a location in 2030 that still supports population / outposts. Have a look at the blog and read the initial post first. It is proposed that the blog will become both a book and submission for a TV series.

Interested writers should write a letter as a fictional character and email it to me. I'll slip in some facts if appropriate then post it to the blog as if it were happening in 2030.

Bob Williamson,
Founder & Chair Greenhouse Neutral Foundation
www.greenhouseneutral.net

The Dream Quest One Poetry & Writing Contest is open to anyone who loves expressing innermost thoughts and feelings into  the beautiful art of poetry or to write a short story that is worth telling everyone! And to all who have the ability to dream. Write a poem or short story for a chance to win cash prizes. All works must be original. http://www.dreamquestone.com

Don't suffer with book proposals. You can be a pro with an investment of only twenty minutes and 49 cents with Carolyn Howard-Johnson's Great First Impression Book Proposal Short on Amazon.com.

Susan M. Heim is pleased to announce the publication of her new book, Chicken Soup for the Soul: Twins and More. This is Chicken Soup’s first book about the growing world of twins and multiples. Twins and More provides stories that highlight the special bond shared by twins, the joys and challenges of raising multiples, the unique circumstances of their arrival, the "double trouble" that twins get into, the "multiple blessings" of being a twin or having them in the family, and adventures in raising triplets, too! Twins, parents of multiples, relatives of twins, or anyone interested in twins, triplets, and more will enjoy these inspirational, humorous, and touching stories.

Ever since I started giving talks and workshops around the country about Sitelines, people have told me how my reading the poems adds so much to their experience and that they'd love to have it in audio. So, Daddy and I have been working hard to make that dream come true. Tell you more about that one, later.

In the meanwhile, you can read my most recent Creative Catalyst post on the Story Circle Network blog (Telling HerStories: The Broad View) by clicking this link. Catch up on the entire Creative Catalyst archive here. This column is written in collaboration with my dear friend Stephanie Farrow of Albuquerque. We're assembling them in themes written in cycles of three posts. Later, these will be available in an e-book and a printed book as well. Love for you to comment on the new post; also, if you have questions or suggestions for a topic, please write me at janet.riehl@gmail.com.

Janet Riehl

Multi-published romance author Kari Thomas  is happy to announce two new releases for March 2009! Seducing The Hero, from Eternal Press is a romantic humor with a touch of paranormal. It is available at the publisher site www.eternalpress.ca/seducingthehero.htm or can be purchased in print at the end of April on Amazon.com. Her Heart, His Soul, from Bookstrand-Siren is available in e-book March 17, and in print late August 2009. It is a darker paranormal romance.

Free pages from any of her books are available by request. Visit her Web site www.authorkari.com for more info. Free PDF: www.thesamhellion.com/ebooks/thomas_chapter.pdf.

Is the Write Idea the Right Idea for You? by Mark David Gerson

There are many good ideas out there in the ethers: ideas for books and screenplays, ideas for songs, articles, and poems. Your friends will suggest them. Your partner will suggest them. Your logical mind will suggest them.

You'll see something or hear about something and you'll think, "Wouldn't that make a great story?" Maybe it would. Maybe it's yours to write. Maybe it's not.

There's a difference between a good idea and the right idea, between an idea that is anyone's for the taking and one that is uniquely yours, one that's right for you, right now.

Before you launch into a frenzy of research and writing, ask yourself: Is this what I’m called to write? Is this the call of my muse, the story only I can tell? Or is this anyone's? Is this another good idea or is this the right idea for me?

Anyone can take a good idea and give it shape and substance. Some can do it better than you, some not as well. Nobody can take the idea that sings to your soul and perform the kind of alchemy on it that you can. Only you can transform that idea into the one-of-a-kind gem it longs to be. That is why it, through your muse, called to you...chose you.

Accept that you were chosen. Perform your magic. Let the right idea be the idea you write. Right now.

Mark David Gerson has taught writing as a creative and spiritual pursuit for more than 15 years in the U.S. and Canada. Author of The Voice of the Muse: Answering the Call to Write (from which this article is adapted) and of the award-winning visionary novel, The MoonQuest: A True Fantasy, Mark David has also recorded The Voice of the Muse Companion, a 2-CD set of guided meditations for writers. Mark David's screenplay adaptation of The MoonQuest is now in active development with Albuquerque's Anvil Springs Entertainment. You can reach Mark David, access his blogs, and read more about his books through his Web site, www.markdavidgerson.com. His books are available at selected U.S. bookstores and online through www.lightlinesmedia.com and Amazon.com.

I'm forever grateful to Yvonne Perry for pointing me towards her son-in-law, Scott Kidd, as my sound engineer. He's not only a thoroughly competent professional, but he also intuitively understood what this project needed and did it brilliantly. He made this five-month process of making the audio book as pleasant as possible, even in the dips. And, often a highlight of the best collaborations I've ever had.

I've gotten great feedback at my poetry readings and talks of Sightlines: A Poet's Diary. Many folks say that the sound of my voice reading the poems added so much. Thus, we introduced our new audio book. If we haven't had the pleasure of meeting at one of these readings in person, perhaps you'll enjoy this audio clip of eight tracks from disc three. Click on this link http://tr.im/hgkw or copy and paste this into your browser address bar. Once there, you can play the audio or RIGHT-CLICK to download it to your computer (CTRL-CLICK if you are on a Mac). The three poems I read are: "Window Frame," "Knick-Knacks," and "Crazy Sewing Box, Sorting." Disc three roughly corresponds to section four called "Homeplace" in the poetry book.

If you already have the book, you can even read along as you listen. The ten-minute clip includes four songs as interludes between the poems. We recorded this music in my father's parlor on the homeplace. Daddy's music group is affectionately known as The Thompson Quartet.

Janet Grace Riehl

Jack Woodville London's debut novel French Letters -- Virginia's War: Tierra, Texas 1944 made the local bestseller list in Austin, Texas last month.

Dennis Martin’s books (except for Love and Passions) can be purchased at http://www.Lulu.com/dsmartin. Books purchased here are about $4.00 cheaper than when purchased from one of the online bookstores like Amazon, B & N or Borders. The links on his Web site http://www.iwritesome.com will take you to my storefront on Lulu. Much of my work can be viewed on my blog http://iwritesome.blogspot.com/. Visitors can leave comments and posts.

His latest book is intended for anyone who has a fondness for rhythmic, lyrical poetry. You've already seen some pieces from this collection over the past few months in this newsletter. Since many of the pieces in this work were done with specific artists in mind, usually country artists, he hopes that someone in the music industry is seriously looking for new, fresh lyrics for recording.  Dennis says, "There are a few good drinking/honky tonk songs, a number of love songs, love lost songs, far-from-home songs, and a couple of buddy songs. As usual, the tunes are in my head, but I am neither singer nor musician."

What he needs is a collaborator. Any musician interested? Contact Dennis.

Need to convert technical information into content for the general public? I can do just that! I have developed technical manuals, sales literature, training guides, online help menus, and other documentation for businesses and organizations. Cohesive, consistent, and concise content is essential for delivering your desired message to your target audience!

Marichelle Rocha, Business Writer  marichellerocha.com

Need a ghostwriter for your fiction book or screenplay? Contact Taryn Simpson.

Do you know what your publishing options are? Do you have a publishing plan? You will when you follow the simple steps in this user-friendly action guide. Publishing Possibilities: 8 Steps to Understanding Your Options & Choosing the Best Path for Your Book by Cheryl Pickett can help. www.publishinganswers.com

Linda Ballou is proud to announce that Wai-nani, High Chiefess of Hawai’i has been selected by Reader Views as a finalist in their Literary Awards in their historical fiction category. Click here for complete review.

National Hispanic Cultural Center is hosting the 2009 7th Annual National Latino Writer’s Conference at the NHCC campus May 20-24. At BronzeWord’s Blog, interviews with the faculty are up every Saturday. Visit NHCC www.nhccnm.org to register for the conference.

Your announcement could be here. Check out the submission guidelines and send us your blurb.

Little Stories
Author: Jeff Roberts
ISBN: 978-1-4327-2727-7
Publisher: OutskirtsPress.com
Genre and Target Market: short stories; fiction; relationships
Publication Date: 2008
Book Length in Pages: 101

When I was growing up, my favorite location in the public library was the Biography section. I enjoyed the experience of diving into another person’s life and viewing relationships and world events using a stranger’s unique lens. Always of particular fascination would be diaries through which readers can witness an evolution in thought or perspective from one stage in life to another. Even in writing that is not as bare and personal as a journal, good writers still let us into their worlds through their chosen subjects and expression of emotion. In his new book Little Stories, Jeff Roberts shares a collection of short stories that he wrote during his undergraduate studies at the University of Iowa. Each piece offers a look into the fragile human psyche and, at least for this reader, provides an intensely personal reaction to situations of social dynamics that are painfully honest. Roberts offers a glimpse into the worlds of his characters at a specific moment in their lives and does so through such engaging prose that his readers will undoubtedly remember a time when they found themselves in such a situation, or at least would have reacted the same way given the circumstances. When you open up Little Stories, be prepared for an emotional connection with the words on the page.

Roberts shares in some of his marketing material for Little Stories that reviewing the stories to compile for the book caused him both moments in which he cringed and others that brought great pride. I can understand the author’s wide range of emotions, as he reveals so much of himself in each story. Some of the pieces he admits are actual moments from his life, like the miracles of birth and death coming together at a local hospital or the feeling of being “dead inside” immediately following his divorce. Other stories appear to be comprised of fictional characters but who still evoke such emotion that the author seems to pull from a very real and personal place. Regardless of the inspiration for each story, Roberts is magnificent at developing a rich storyline and three-dimensional characters over the span of just a few short pages. He also gives us the opportunity to relive similar episodes from a place in our lives that is hopefully now wiser and more mature. To know that we have survived some of the heart-wrenching moments that Roberts details in his stories is quite gratifying.

One of the most powerful features of Roberts’ writing is the way that he examines the loneliness and insecurity that we often experience even in the most intimate of relationships. This study ranges from a young boy who feels desperately alone as he ponders the consequences of a failing mark on his report card to a husband determined to make his marriage work but instead returns home to a wife who is utterly distant and finding her romantic fulfillment through a computer screen. Whether literally through the text (such as “I never felt so alone” or “alone in this world”) or through the feelings he evokes by more subtle means, Roberts brings us to the conclusion of each story with a reminder that we really are individual entities who may be left alone at any moment. This feeling of isolation is most often not caused by a physical separation, but instead an emotional, sexual, or other manifested divide.

Often times, I will keep a collection of short stories on my nightstand with the intention of reading one selection each evening and therefore progressing slowly through the author’s work. In the case of Little Stories by Jeff Roberts, I ended up reading the entire book in one sitting. Since then, I have reopened the book many times to read certain stories that really spoke to me and I experienced a new detail each time. Little Stories contains raw emotions that never seem contrived or melodramatic, which can often occur in books through which the author is hoping to evoke a certain reaction from the reader. Instead, Roberts displays a great talent for capturing a real sense of human weakness and longing with the respect that these emotions deserve. I know that I am not done reading Little Stories, as it is a collection that can be read again and again. But, I also hope that Jeff Roberts chooses to publish another work that lets us into another stage in his life’s journey. I have no doubt that the result will be just as fascinating.

More Than Meets the Eye, True Stories About Death, Dying, and Afterlife
Author: Yvonne Perry
ISBN: 0-9753870-6-5
Price $13.99 US
Publisher: Booksurge (2005)
Pages: 166 pgs.
Genre: Spirituality/Metaphysics
Reviewer: Andrea Mai (a student in WITS newbie mentoring class)

When I first got the book, I was under the impression that More Than Meets the Eye by author Yvonne Perry was going to be primarily about near-death experiences (NDE) and the spiritual aspects involved with such an experience. While there are certainly chapters devoted to the NDE, I am happy to report the book is about so much more than that. It was an intriguing combination of analysis, personal experience, collected and collective stories. Perry graduated from the American Institute of Holistic Theology with a degree in Metaphysics which allowed her a solid background to explore the subject. This book is filled with well-researched details about everything you might want to know about death, dying, and afterlife.

One of the chapters I especially enjoyed was called Souls and Ceremonies. It was filled with information about burial, embalming, and cremation with historical and modern citations about laws surrounding each of these processes. I’ve often thought a funeral pyre would be a great way to say goodbye if our society could handle it. Instead, I’ll probably just be cremated behind closed doors and handed over to my loved ones in a tidy little urn. My grandmother always wanted to be buried in a plain pine box but apparently, in Minnesota, there are laws for how well the box must be constructed. After reading this chapter, I want to find out more for her.

I was intrigued by the chapters discussing the afterlife and NDEs. The author, Yvonne Perry, grew up in a fundamentalist Christian church and that’s where she spent her time until she was forty years old. Then she began to explore other spiritualities. I found it interesting because my history is almost the opposite of hers. I spent years studying Taoism, Buddhism, and Paganism then spent time in Christianity, then left for more Buddhism and have returned fully to a liberal Christianity but not in order to follow by rote what others tell me to believe. I believe in the Christ. I also believe whole-heartedly in reincarnation. As a student of Christian theology, my beliefs about God are wider than the little box many to which many ascribe for the Divine, starting with my Christian brothers and sisters. And, Perry does a fine job of exploring the afterlife from both her own understanding of metaphysics and religion as well as the understanding within different spiritual/faith communities.

The only real problem I had with the book was the personal stories that were in italics. Some only had a brief mention of the storyteller which made it hard to keep up with who was telling the story. This was primarily an issue of how it was formatted for these sequences. The stories were good, just a little vague about who was telling them. Of course, I read quickly with a tendency to skim until something jumps out at me. So, it may be my own method of reading that triggered the problem.

With chapters on Hospice care, suicide, euthanasia as well as ceremonies, near-death and out of body experiences this 166-page book lives up to its title. I think the book works because Perry takes a thoughtful approach to these subjects, neither forcing her views onto the reader but also not shying away from subjects that many readers might not know about or understand. I had never heard of walk-in souls as she described in Chapter Seven: I Don’t Like it Here (Dealing With Suicide). It was a completely new idea to me and one I’ll read more about.

The book didn’t have time to get dull with the very approachable blend of statistics, facts, other people’s stories and Perry’s own story. It was a quick-read but one you can go back to again and again to go a little deeper. There were some helpful items found at the end of the book. A copy of a Living Will and Warning Signs of Suicide were included as well as a Bibliography listing her many resources.

Overall, I would recommend this book to any person who is either curious or struggling with any of these issues. It was enjoyable, thought-provoking, and I know I will return to it when I meditate on these topics.

My Dirty Little Secrets - Steroids, Alcohol and God: The Tony Mandarich Story
Tony Mandarich and Sharon Shaw Elrod
Modern History Press (2009)
ISBN 9781932690781
Reviewed by Olivera Jackson-Baumgartner for Reader Views

Tony Mandarich’s book My Dirty Little Secrets – Steroids, Alcohol and God is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. The reader gets to follow Tony through the best and the worst of college football and his NFL career, as well as his “career” as husband and a father. Everything that readers love is there: humble beginnings, working-class parents, older brother to look up to, promising start to a brilliant career, dedication and hard work, grueling workouts, drugs, invitation to NFL and… a big crash. What follows this first, promise-filled part is heart-wrenching. Tony’s descent into the addiction hell is surprising on one hand and all too understandable on the other. Readers can’t help but be astonished that somebody, who on one hand has trained so hard and turned his body into such a temple to strength, can so viciously destroy it with drugs and alcohol on the other hand. We have to give it to Mr. Mandarich—he is nothing but brutally candid and honest, and he never blames anybody else for his troubles, not even in the cases where some blame could have been shared, if not clearly laid on others. Tony Mandarich’s shoulders are wide, and he bravely decided to take the full load of guilt on himself.

Even if you are not a sports fan, I am convinced that you will find Tony Mandarich’s account of his two NFL careers fascinating. The crystal clear difference in his attitude during his days with the Green Bay Packers and sharply contrasting days with the Indianapolis Colts is elucidating. What a difference an attitude adjustment can – and does! – make. This should be required reading for anybody in the public eye, but most importantly for many athletes who have trouble understanding that they are responsible for their actions on and off the athletic fields. As illuminating as I found the chapters of Tony Mandarich’s years on the football field, they pale in comparison with his insight into his own addiction and his path to recovery and healing, both his own and healing of those around him. Some of my favorite pages are those where he describes his newly rediscovered joy of playing football, and playing it well. And the romantic in me rejoiced when Tony met and reconnected with his college sweetheart, Char. By the looks of it, Tony really learned his hard lessons, and both his second NFL career and his second marriage, to Char, were (and are) so much more successful than either of his first attempts.

Brutally honest at times, and always straightforward, Tony Mandarich’s My Dirty Little Secrets is in my opinion first and foremost a great book about the power we all hold within ourselves and everything we can achieve if we only decide to do the right thing. Unfailingly optimistic, but never preachy, this book should find a wide audience of those who are curious enough to reserve judgment until they learn all of the facts. I am not qualified to say how good of a football player Tony Mandarich ever was, but he is certainly a brave man and one who can walk with his head held high anywhere in this world.

The Last Paradise: A Novel
Michael Kasenow
iUniverse (2009)
ISBN 9781440120015
Reviewed by Richard R. Blake for Reader Views

Michael Kasenow resourcefully tracks the plight of the oppressed and exploited “alley people” of Galveston, Texas in the post Civil War era. The Last Paradise is a stirring story of the strength and endurance of these unwavering men and women fighting to keep their dignity through the trials of injustice and bigotry in the age of Jim Crow.

In an environment where hypocrisy and corporate corruption are intent on spawning racism, prejudice, and poverty, Michael Kasenow weaves a powerful story of the courage, strength and survival of downtrodden men and their families. The alley people reflect an inner strength of character lacking in the affluent, town “bullies,” the bigoted police officers, and the unscrupulous civic leaders in an atmosphere of political tension.

The story moves forward with well-chosen words that begin at a lazy pace, casual, yet compelling—a nonchalance in keeping with the era and locale of Galveston in the early 1900s. Kasenow uses friendly, moving banter among friends mixed with cutting barbs, sarcasm, and prejudice to develop his characters. His descriptive word pictures draw the reader into his narrative as he describes the “crooked ambiance of Tin Can Alley” or how “the docks bustled with organized chaos.”

Vivid and detailed descriptions bring to life the architecture and commerce of downtown Galveston, the harbor, St. Mary’s Orphanage, the salt marshes, and the wetlands.

A master at character development, Kasenow’s colorful cast include the regulars a Bleach’s Bar, the “working girls” upstairs, Boss Conner and his wharf crew, the nuns and children at St. Mary’s orphanage, Bishop and his family, Jenny and Sara Conner, Newt, and Maxwell and young Cody.

Kasenow writes with such realism I felt the shame and humiliation of Bishop and his family as they were intimidated and harassed brutally before their friends by representatives of the law. In his account of the after effects of the Great Hurricane of 1900, Kasenow engaged the reader in all five senses: the stench of fear and death, the tenderness of touch in providing comfort, and the seeing of loved ones – thought dead. I felt the cooling water on a parched throat, heard the thrashing of hurricane force winds, and was left with the haunting memory of devastation left behind after the storm.

The Last Paradise contrasts the emptiness of greed and the lust for power with the hopefulness and moral fiber of the alley people of the Galveston wharf. The novel is brutally forthright as it portrays an honest look at the brutality of evil men. On a lighter note, Kasenow includes both rollicking and subtle humor and a thread of romance throughout the story.

As in his poetic writings, Kasenow reveals the strength and triumph over despair, which produces healing through kindness with the reward of hope during harsh and chaotic times. The Last Paradise an editor’s choice book, is destined to establish Michael Kasenow as a serious historical fiction author.

Zoe Lucky and the Green Gables’ Mystery
Author: M. Carol Coffey
ISBN Number: 978-1-4327-3190-8
Publisher: OutskirtsPress.com
Genre and Target Market: fiction; mystery; teen
Publication Date: 2009
Book Length in Pages: 148

When I was in elementary school, I formed a kids’ detective agency with a couple of close friends. After the other students had gone home, we would revisit the ground on which we had all enjoyed recess just a few hours before. We searched through the sand for artifacts, read the graffiti on the brick walls, and created probing questions that only we could answer. When I took to my room in the evening, the Nancy Drew mysteries and “choose your own adventure” books were always among my favorite reading choices. I supposed I enjoyed the idea of a young hero, particularly a female one, solving a crime that had stumped even the most experienced adults. Therefore, I am excited to have discovered a young modern-day heroine by the name of Zoe Lucky. She is the creation of author M. Carol Coffey and in her new book, Zoe Lucky and the Green Gables’ Mystery, she carries on the tradition of Nancy Drew fans and playground sleuths everywhere. Except, in Zoe’s case, the crimes and the consequences are much more serious.

Zoe is a thirteen-year-old girl who recently moved to a new apartment with her mom following the tragic death of her father, a police officer who was shot in the line of duty. Zoe doesn’t even have time to adjust to her surroundings before she finds herself amongst a cast of fascinating characters, some of whom with motives more sinister than they first seem. As the story unfolds, Zoe befriends a wise neighbor, draws close in puppy love to the cute boy from the pet shop, and finds herself in a position to uncover crimes ranging from burglary to arson to murder. Although the mystery that develops is frightening and quite serious, the author always manages to keep the perspective of a young teenage girl in her writing. Zoe is a girl who pieces together her clues through skilled work on her Blackberry and by the art of instant messaging … she is smart and prepared to unlock criminal mysteries with a uniquely adolescent and 21st century style.

One of the most engaging aspects of this new novel is the great importance of birds to the development of Coffey’s storyline. Zoe’s pet African Gray parrot, Paki, specifically and all feathered friends in general play pivotal roles in ways that the humans involved in the situation could never manage. Paki is able to sense the true character of people who walk into the Luckys’ apartment and tries to warn his young friend through less-than-subtle name calling. The crows that congregate outside of Zoe’s apartment building maintain a long memory concerning those who have harmed them, and use their great abilities as guides to lead authorities to the man who had been the sources of so many wide-awake nightmares for Zoe and her family. With this aspect of the book, the author beautifully incorporates her love for birds and other animals. Coffey is a member of the Audubon Society and the National Wildlife Federation, and her knowledge of animals and their capabilities adds a unique dynamic that readers will not find in other books of this genre.

The fast-paced format and starring cast of characters in Zoe Lucky and the Green Gables Mystery come together to create a book that will be a popular choice in the Young Adult section of the bookstore. M. Carol Coffey does a magnificent job in appealing to an age group of readers who we all know can be difficult to please, but who are the most loyal fans once a relationship is established. I certainly can see Zoe Lucky emerging as a favorite heroine of young girls everywhere. However, I think this book will rightfully find an audience in readers of all ages. Coffey’s writing is smart and complex without being painfully obvious about the process. She slowly reveals details about her characters that will keep readers turning the page to discover more. Also a talented illustrator, Coffey adds sketches throughout the book which add a great visual element. Her ability to create suspense will have readers guessing and perhaps sitting with their mouths dropped open in shock (as mine did) as the story reaches its climax and reveals some amazing twists. M. Carol Coffey has promised that more adventures are in store for Zoe Lucky, and I am looking forward to reading them with my daughter. Perhaps she will be inspired by Zoe to set upon her own mystery adventure, just as I was prompted by Nancy Drew!